Drowning In Ice Cream

Is it possible to die of an acute ice cream overdose? If so, I may soon find out, but at least it’s a sweet way to go. As some of you may remember, I recently bought a new ice cream maker and after using it to crank out a plethora of flavours I decided that as good as it was, it just wasn’t enough. For my ice cream needs I required two additional things: an industrial ice cream machine just like the one David Lebovitz has, and his book to go with it! I saw a deal on an ice cream machine that was too good to pass up and I’ve been pining away for The Perfect Scoop since before it came out so it only seemed right that I get both of them.

Since then I’ve made Fresh Fig ice cream, (which, despite the sludge-like colour, is actually very smooth and figgy) Blueberry Frozen Yogurt (bursting with blueberry) Oatmeal Raisin Ice Cream, (with caramelized oat clusters and whiskey soaked raisins) and my favourite, Rum Raisin ice cream, (which I added too much booze to so it never hardened completely but I quite liked it that way).

So now maybe you’ll understand that when I asked if it was possible to die of ice cream exposure, I wasn’t joking, I’m basically living off the stuff lately. I’m going to have to start making savoury ice creams just so that I get a more balanced diet. I’ll have to make steak and potatoes ice cream or lasagna ice cream or maybe bbq chicken ice cream, perhaps served with a side of grilled asparagus sorbet or roasted red pepper gelato. You never know what I’ll come up with next... Neither do I really… But seriously, bacon ice cream is still on my ‘must make’ list.

Rum Raisin Ice Cream (from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop)

2/3 cup mixed dark and light raisins

1/2 cup dark rum

1 inch strip of orange or lemon zest

3/4 cup whole milk

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided

Pinch of Salt

4 large egg yolks

Heat the raisins, rum, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Let simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for a few hours. (The raisins can be macerated 1 day in advance.)

Warm the milk, sugar, 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warmed milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as your stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and into the cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath, then chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.

When ready to freeze the ice cream, drain the raisins over a bowl and reserve the rum. Discard the orange zest. Measure the drained rum and add more, if necessary, so that you have a total of 3 tablespoons. Stir the rum into the custard.

Freeze the mixture in your ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the rum-soaked raisins.

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Ice Cream + Fruit + Figs + Raisins + Blueberries